And the Winner of Tonight's Women's World Cup Semifinal Is...Fox

Fox might be the best fan the U.S. Women's Soccer team has. After all, the matches have been ratings gold since the tournament started.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Tonight the U.S. women's soccer team will play before another packed stadium as it challenges Germany for a spot in this year's World Cup final.

Arguably, its biggest fan won't be in the stands but behind the camera.

That honor goes to the Murdoch family's 21st CenturyFox (FOX), which owns the rights to broadcast this year's FIFA Women's World Cup. Fox has reason to cheer since the U.S. quarterfinal match against China attracted 5.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-final women's soccer match ever. The broadcaster has enjoyed a 23% ratings boost since the tournament began on June 12, according to an analysis by Bloomberg.

Fox, which has cornered the broadcasting rights for FIFA World Cups through 2026, is hoping that's a sign of more viewers to come.

But the Murdochs have paid a hearty fee for that privilege. As U.S. audiences for the World Cup have mushroomed, so have the bids to broadcast them. While ESPN scored the 2010 and 2014 World Cups for $100 million, Fox agreed to a $425 million deal for this year's contest as well as upcoming men's World Cups in 2018 and 2022. FIFA later awarded Fox the women's tournament in 2023 and the men's in 2026 without a bidding process.

Regardless of ratings, getting the rights to the World Cup affords Fox an opportunity to appear to viewers who may not be rabid fans, said Mark Friederich, chief operating officer at sports sponsorship consultants Navigate Research, which has worked with ESPN and Major League Soccer.

"The short-time finances might not work out, but it accomplishes other things Fox," said Friederich. A big sports tournament like World Cup can help the company in "establishing itself as a leader in the sports industry" and attracting viewers to FoxSports.com for other content.